Thanksgiving Greetings From Chancellor Jack Weiss

The light is fading as we head toward dusk here on the eve of Thanksgiving. It has been a somber week at the Law Center. Professor Bill Crawford and his family have suffered an incalculable loss. All of us have felt and shared their grief. A beloved faculty colleague has undergone serious surgery on short notice.

Outside of the Law Center, these are also times that try men’s (and women’s) souls. The nation is at war. The economic picture is bleak.

Overall, it is hard to locate the celebratory mood we like to associate with our traditional national holiday of Thanksgiving. Yet it remains important that we take the day to unwind a bit and to reflect on all we have to be thankful for.

I myself want to express my continuing gratitude for having been afforded the opportunity to work every day in the LSU Law community. We are a caring and mutually supportive bunch–students, staff, faculty and alumni. Never is that more apparent than at times like this. We accomplish important tasks every day, but we do not forget that those tasks rank below our commitments to, and love for, family, friends, and neighbors.

This Thanksgiving, above perhaps many others, seems an especially good time to take stock of our blessings. It’s also a good time to give a special hug or say a special word to the special people in your life. May you travel safely and return renewed and ready to continue our work together toward the bright future that lies ahead.